To be read or said at Jenny's service

Forty years ago last Christmas we visited Michael and his girlfriend on our way to our Christmas gathering at The Wayside. Michael couldn't join us because of an ailment. We opened presents there and Jenny, who I hardly knew at the time, gave me a beautiful large plate of the painting, "The Touch of God's Hand."

Little did I know that this gift was only the first of hundreds of gifts given to me by Jenny. She gave me herself as a new sister; she gave me grandchildren, then later great- and great-great-grandchildren. She gave me companionship on dozens of trips from the East coast to New Mexico to attend Gray family events; she hosted such events at The Wayside for the family and became an important part of the entire family. She and Michael saw to it that I was able to attend every one of my siblings' funerals, and they went with me or with Ellen and me, and sat with me. This started when Lester's mother died when Jenny was only days away from giving birth to her second son, up through them all until today.

These trips were made fun, exciting, and never dull when Jenny was along, maybe doing part of the driving.

But another big gift Jenny gave me was a co-grandmother, Jean Bedwell, who could share our many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren together along with sharing all the activities of Bedwell family so that the two families became as one because of the organization, love, fun and good food given to everything we did or had done for us.

Jenny was my fifth sister and now I've lost one more sibling, but can still enjoy the memories of our midnight talks on the steps, seeing flowers suddenly spring up on my patio while I was at church on Mother's Day, and thousands of other presents.

This plate still hangs on our living room wall. Jenny remains in my heart and memories forever.

I love you, Jenny.